Washington (CNN) - Congressional approval ratings hovered at historic lows. Republican and Democrats hurled insults at each other and among themselves. The political circus in Washington even made its way to "Saturday Night Live: - in a sketch featuring Miley Cyrus, at that.

It seemed that nothing would break through the partisan stronghold that left Capitol Hill at a standstill in the weeks leading up to and during the partial government shutdown.

Washington (CNN) – The number of innocent victims of drone strikes remains "extremely small" and doesn't outweigh the benefits of using drones to take out al Qaeda operatives, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates argued Sunday.

But the former Pentagon chief said a better system of checks and balances could be constructive when the unmanned aerial devices are used to target Americans, aligning himself with lawmakers concerned about unfettered power in the hands of the president.FULL POST

(CNN) - Maine's independent senator-elect announced Wednesday he would caucus with Democrats, giving the party a ten-vote advantage over Republicans in the upper chamber.

Angus King made the announcement Wednesday in the U.S. Capitol, where he and other newly elected senators and representatives are convening for a week of orientation. They will be officially sworn in as lawmakers in January.FULL POST

(CNN) – Senator-elect Angus King, who will represent Maine as an independent in the upper chamber, said Tuesday he had yet to make a decision on whether to caucus with Republicans or Democrats, but that he would make his choice in the next two days.

Members of both parties expect King to caucus with Democrats, though he has yet to publicly declare his intentions. He did not say during his campaign which party he would choose. The Senate's other independent member, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, caucuses with Democrats.FULL POST